Of Flower Crowns and Summer Happiness
by C. R. Harris
Summary: "The sky was cloudless, the sun shone brightly and there was a general air of laziness all around. There were some birds chirping, though they weren't bothering; most people were enjoying the beach on that hot summer day, though there was one couple just lying under a big tree near the lake in the park" Oneshot based of We Fade In the Dark.


**So, my girlfriend of three years broke up with me a few days ago and I've really been feeling like crap. I thought I'd do this small oneshot about happiness 'cause I really don't feel like doing much.**

**For the people who read my other story "From Under The Cork Tree", I'm sorry but I don't think I'll finish it. The main character was based off my girlfriend and, well, it's kind of hard to write it now, y'know? **

**anyway, I hope you enjoy this little fluff oneshot.**

**love,**

**Celia**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Castiel, though the rest of the story is pretty much all mine**

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><p><strong>Of Flower Crowns and Summer Happiness<strong>

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><p>The sky was cloudless, the sun shone brightly and there was a general air of laziness all around. There were some birds chirping, though they weren't bothering; you could hear the little kids' laughter as they played, though it wasn't annoying; most people were enjoying the beach on that hot summer day, though there was one couple just lying under a big tree near the lake in the park.<p>

Eleanor was sat in between her boyfriend's legs with her back pressed to his chest. Her turquoise hair was adorned with a multicolour flower crown that didn't really match any of her clothes. Castiel listened as she told him a story about her 12th birthday.

"—I mean… you know how Isaac is; he wanted to give it a go. So, sure enough, he got his head stuck in there. It took dad, Uncle Jim, and Aunt Kira like, 3 hours to get him off that fence. Sebastian just stood there laughing and eating cake. So did I to be honest" said Eleanor, playing with a ladybug in her hand "It was a good day. Kind of. The hose incident wasn't"

Castiel started laughing and tried to hide it by pressing his mouth to the crook of his girlfriend's neck, but she obviously noticed it.

"What?" She asked. The ladybug flew off her hand.

"Nothing"

He laughed harder.

"Seriously, what happened?"

"It's just… I'm imagining your face after you brothers drenched you with a fire hose. Looks oddly like an angry bunny" Castiel inflated his cheeks and pouted trying to make a point.

Eleanor blushed and said "I'll let you know my brothers say I looked really scary then"

"'I'm an angry bunny rabbit!'" He imitated Eleanor, still pouting.

"I hate you"

"No you don't. You love me" He playfully bit the girl's cheek, causing her to laugh and try to push him away. He held her closer.

They stayed silent for a few moments, Eleanor's head just resting on Castiel's shoulder, enjoying each other's company. Eleanor turned her head motioning in for a kiss but her boyfriend didn't move. He was looking forward with an unusual pained expression on his face.

"There's something bothering you" she said.

"Not really. It's just… Your family is so much better than mine. I'm not envying you or anything like that but I grew up knowing my parents could never really be there for me, and that my grandparents hate me, and the only ones who cared about me were gone so fast. If someone got their head stuck in a fence during a family party, they'd have to find their way out on their own. I never felt like I had a real family. I don't think any Parker really feels it, ya know?"

"Don't you dare tell me you don't have a family"

"You've met them! They're not exactly a—"

"I'm not talking about them. You're a Burns, Cas. My family is yours family too"

"You are the cutest, did you know that?" Castiel said, finally smiling again.

"Of course I do" Eleanor replied, grinning wider

Their smiles met in a slow and tender kiss. Castiel breathed in the scent of roses, and perfume, and lime juice – Eleanor's scent. He moved his had up from where it resting on her waist to cup her cheek. His girlfriend put both her hands on his neck and started to play with the hairs there.

"Castiel" Eleanor said, breaking apart "Castiel, there's kids watching"

Castiel opened his eyes and turned his head slightly to see that there were indeed two boys a girl who looked no more than eight years old staring at them. The girl and one of the boys giggled. The other one had a disgusted look on his face.

So Castiel flipped the kids off.

"Castiel!" Eleanor exclaimed laughing "You can't flip off eight year olds!"

"Of course I can. I just did it"

"You're impossible" Eleanor got up and straightened her flowery dress "Let's go for a walk around the lake and stop traumatizing those kiddies"

"We're not traumatizing them! We _would _be if I just tackled you to the ground taking off our clo—"

"James Castiel Parker!"

"Chill, chill, I'm messing with ya"

Castiel took Eleanor's stretched out hand to help himself up and didn't let go. Their fingers intertwined and Eleanor moved closer as they walked closer to the lake. The sun would set any minute now and the reddish colours were already starting to appear in the sky.

"You know" Eleanor started "As much as I love Reading and Uni and all that, I can't help but be sad every time we have to go back"

When Eleanor got accepted into the University of Reading to study Electrical Engineering, Castiel insisted on going with her. Ava bought her a small apartment near campus where the two of them had been living for the past 3 years.

On their second week there, Castiel had found this big record shop about 30 minutes walking from the apartment. They had a big "HELP WANTED" sign on the glass door and the boy decided to try. He was now hoping to be assistant manager seeing as the old one took the place of Hiram, the previous manager who got a job as a Radio 1 DJ.

"So, what, you'll miss the Reading Festival then? Alright, I'll go back and sell your ticket to someone who is more excited about seeing Gerard Way live" Castiel said sarcastically.

"Okay, you convinced me, I'm going back"

"I know you are. You need more pictures for your Gerard shrine"

"Hey! I'm not the one who has a shrine dedicated to _BioShock Infinity"_

"You do have another one for _Halo, _though"

"It's not a shrine; it's _one _poster. Also, it's RvB, not Halo"

"Same difference"

"Why did I ever agree to share an apartment with you?"

"No idea"

They talked and they walked and the sky was getting more and more shades of red and yellow and not once they let go of each other's hand.

At some point during the walk, Castiel ended up with Eleanor's flower crown on his own head and a red lipstick kiss mark on his cheek.

Eleanor laughed at something but he wasn't quite sure what. She laughed a lot, way more than Castiel, who, although was not so grumpy anymore, still didn't smile that often. Eleanor was optimistic and a little bit childish and over excitable. Castiel scowled a lot and was a bit of a pessimist and a realist. Some people would say they were as different as the sun and the moon and, yeah, maybe they were right, but it worked. They made it work. You could call it fate, destiny (if Eleanor heard this, she would say "a horse") but Soulmates happened for a reason beyond just biology and Castiel woke up every day thinking how right it had worked out.

The sky was now a deep dark shade of blue with like, two stars and a crescent moon. The lights of the park were already on. Fireflies danced around near the grass and close to the water.

Castiel took Eleanor by the waist and the girl put her arms around his neck. They just looked at each other for a few moments before leaning in and pressing their lips together. Castiel deepened the kiss and tried to hold his girlfriend impossibly closer. The kiss might have lasted a few seconds. It might have lasted hours for all they knew.

When they parted away to breath, Castiel sat on the ground with Eleanor by his side and, before they knew it, they were lying with Castiel on top of his girlfriend and they were kissing again.

A fairly large duck near the margin of the lake suddenly submerged and drenched the scarlet-haired boy. Eleanor broke the kiss, laughing too hard to continue. Her head was thrown backwards and her eyes were squinted and she looked utterly _beautiful. _Castiel pressed his forehead to her chin laughing as well.

There, drenched in fish-smelling water, near a psychopath duck, surrounded but bugs that could lighten up their butts; there, under a not so beautiful moon, under a starless sky with the grass tickling his forearms; there, with his beautiful girlfriend who was laughing at his face, he gave one of his not-so-rare-anymore genuine smiles and thought to himself, "_Yeah. This is definitely what happiness feels like_"

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><p><strong><em>FIN<em>**


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